If there’s one film franchise responsible for my love of
movies, it has to be Star Wars. I was
a teenage lad full of wonder and awe of the Galaxy Far, Far Away when it was
released back in 1977. Now, after decades of sequels, prequels, remastered releases
and a litany of spinoff culture, the franchise came alive again with 2015’s
launch of The Force Awakens. The
second installment of the new trilogy blasts onto the screen as Star Wars: The Last Jedi this weekend.

When we left the heroes of the Resistance in The Force
Awakens, Rey (Daisy Ridley) has located Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) on a
secluded island, in hopes of learning the ways of the Force and her place in
the Universe. Meanwhile, Luke’s sister Leia (Carrie Fisher) is leading an
evacuation of the Resistance base as a fleet of First Order star destroyers
descend from outer space to wipe them out. Leia’s team also includes hotshot
pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and former First Order
stormtrooper-turned-resistance fighter Finn (John Boyega). The First Order
military operation is led by General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), under the
direction of Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) and his Sith apprentice Kylo
Ren/Ben Solo (Adam Driver), who also happens to be the son of Leia and (the
late) Han Solo. Kylo is also the former apprentice of his Uncle Luke Skywalker,
having fallen to the Dark Side during his Jedi training, which prompted Luke’s
self-imposed exile.

The story follows several paths through the galaxy,
including Rey’s sojourn with Luke, trying to convince the former Jedi master to
take up arms against the First Order as she communicates through some sort of
Force “link” with Kylo. Finn makes a new friend in Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) and
takes off on a quest to locate an enigmatic code breaker (Benicio del Toro) on
a luxurious resort planet. Rey loses patience with Luke and heads back with
Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) in the Millennium Falcon to face Snoke, hoping to
turn Kylo back to the light. With the help of a deputy commander (Laura Dern), Leia
tries to lead a last-ditch effort to transport what’s left of the Resistance to
a nearby planet to make a final stand. All parties converge in a great battle,
with a surprise visitor who shows up in time to deal with Kylo and Hux’s army.

Star Wars: The Last
Jedi is an incredible, fast-paced and enjoyable crowd-pleaser. One of the
main criticisms (which I disagreed with) pointed at The Force Awakens was similarity between the 2015 installment and
the original 1977 New Hope (Death
Star, desert planet, etc.). There should be no such complaints in Last Jedi, as writer/director Rian
Johnson has taken our heroes and their rivals into new territory and flipped
the storyline into an unpredictable arc. Many of the traditional roles of Star
Wars lore are left unoccupied, and it’s anyone’s guess as to how the trilogy
will conclude. The conflict between light/dark is equally unpredictable, with
all sorts of possibilities available in the next movie.

Rian Johnson’s script is full of deliberate verve, humor and
real dialogue, unlike the plodding, faux Shakespearian discourses of George
Lucas.

Which leads us to Carrie Fisher. Without giving away any
spoilers, I can assure any reader that her performance is noteworthy and that
Leia’s legacy is still in tact as the end credits roll (with a nice tribute to
the late actress, who died of an overdose after finishing up her final scenes
for The Last Jedi). There’s a lot of
emotion to be felt in The Last Jedi,
but it feels like a setup for an even bigger finale. Suffice to say J.J. Abrams has his work cut out for him in the next movie.

As for Hamill, The Last
Jedi is his film, and he rises to the occasion with great skill and
passion, unlike any Luke Skywalker portrayal you’ve ever seen. He’s come a long
way from the whiny kid we first met in 1977.
A fringe benefit of Hamill’s performance is the interaction between Luke
and Rey, which keeps the Jedi flame alive for the future.

Go see The
Last Jedi with your family and let Luke, Leia and all the new faces
transport you to that Galaxy Far, Far Away. It’s a journey worth taking.